Toyama Ryu

You may have heard that Iaido consists of solo training. This may be slightly misleading. In a typical class, there will be times you might wish you were alone. You are constantly watched, and told in no uncertain terms about all the things you are doing wrong, that your feet are positioned incorrectly, that you are looking in the wrong direction and completely missed the enemy with your cut, that you are going to lose your balance in the next five seconds, and that additionally you should concentrate on your opponent and not let yourself be distracted by being verbally torn apart, ... In less than 10 minutes of this "moving meditation" your clothes are drenched with perspiration and you are out of breath.

Casual observers are often confused by the many moments where nothing seems to happen and the swordsperson is apparently taking a little break. People seem to expect a wild rush of activity, swords being torn out of their scabbards and opponents cut down as fast as the laws of physics permit, maybe followed by some flashy twirls as seen on Highlander. Iaido practitioners, however, try to anticipate the opponent and time their actions correctly, so that no rush is needed. Correct technique and spirit is much more important than speed. Also, when speed is eventually attained, it is generally not by moving faster, but by moving less, eliminating what is superfluous. And, as Ishido Shizufumi sensei says: "if you are so very fast, you should rather be running away."

Equipment

Beginners should consult with their teacher before purchasing equipment. Iaido is not very well known, and we know of martial arts stores selling totally unsuitable equiment to uninformed beginners. Equipment can be borrowed during the first stages of your training.

An important piece of equipment for the beginner is the obi or belt. The Iaido obi is very different from the usual karate or judo belt, because it must securely support the sword. It must be at least 6cm wide, and must be long enough to pass three times around the body and make a proper knot. The color of the belt is unimportant, Iaido doesn't use external marks of grade (but no fluo colors please). The uniform consists of a jacket and a hakama. The jacket should be of the Kendo or Kyudo model, with short sleeves and a split in the back instead of on the sides. Trousers (zubon) are not worn under the hakama, so the jacket must be long enough to decently cover the upper legs (and again, not have splits at the sides!).

A wooden sword can be had cheaply for around 10 euro. This will eventually break or shatter, and will have to be converted to a tanto or something similar. For jodo practice a higher quality bokuto is recommended. Hyoho practice requires a special type of wooden swords, which cost around 6500yen for a daisho pair.

For seminars, a pair of kneepads is recommended (these should allow one to sit in seiza-consult your teacher first).

Your major, and most expensive training tool is of course your sword.

Buying a sword for Iaido (iaito)

Talk to your teacher first! Bring your teacher along to the store! We have learned from experience that, for example, martial supply store owners or publicity material are not a reliable source of information to assist beginners in their purchase. We had enthusiastic beginners turn up with wallhanger swords on their second class, because they relied on the store owners. If you buy a sword before you join a school, your instructor may have the unpleasant duty to inform you that your replica is unsafe for practice and can't be allowed in the school.

Most replica swords sold in martial arts stores are fine to hang on the wall as something that vaguely resembles a Japanese sword from a few meters away. It will fall apart within 6 months when used for training (besides being heavy, unsafe, poorly balanced and not being available in different lengths). Some of these are even unsuitably shaped for use, for example, I once saw a replica sold as 'iaito' that looked suspiciously like a 'UC gold katana' where the kurigata was placed so far from the koiguchi that a proper sayabiki was impossible with it. Remember that worthless replicas can be 'made in Japan' too.

A shinken (sharp Japanese sword) is generally not recommended for beginners. A real Japanese sword is usually both dangerous and valuable, a combination that doesn't really rhyme with beginner.

You can get a very basic iaito for around 18.000 yen on a Tozando special sale, anything cheaper is almost certainly junk. But a well-constructed iaito will serve you many years and perhaps more importantly, if you want to quit or (hopefully) want to upgrade to a more fancy sword later, you can sell it to a new beginner with a clear conscience.

Some sure signs you have a bad replica:

• metal or plastic saya (scabbard)
• metal koiguchi (the mouth of the saya)
• plastic handle, sometimes you can even bend them (not to be confused with only synthetic same ('ray-skin'))
• chrome or gold plated fittings, inset jewels, flashy decoration in general
• wrap of the handle is a thin nylon ribbon that moves around if you wring the handle in your hands
• wrap or parts are either loose or visibly glued on
• sageo (cord attached to the saya) is synthetic and too short (when loosened, it should be at least double the length of the saya - but if you loosen it in the store, someone may get upset if you are not adept at retying the fancy knot!)
• blade has 'stainless steel' stamped on it
• the sword is an officially authorised replica of some action movie prop ^_^
• the blade geometry is usually a give-away too, but requires some knowledge to evaluate
• dragons are usually a bad sign

The following pictures compare a quality Nosyu iaito (approx. 6 years in use) with a "wallhanger" (used approx. 6 months). It is our hope that this may give the novice buyer some hints on what to look for.